Journal

After a long day, arranging flowers is therapeutic -- each trip to the flower market brings out a new sense of creativity and artistic expression. I discover a new sense of which flowers inspire me and makes me think “why” I’m drawn to certain types of flowers. Not only does flower arranging remind me of the personality and artistic side of who I am, but also, as a person of faith, it’s a reminder to stop, reflect, and meditate on beauty and creation.

My Mom recently recommended Edith Schaeffer's book, Hidden Art, that has a chapter devoted to flower arranging. The below quote is an inspiration to me:

“If you have been afraid that your love of beautiful flowers … is somehow less spiritual than living in starkness and ugliness, remember that He who created you to be creative gave you the things with which to make beauty and the sensitivity to appreciate and respond to His creation” (Hidden Art, by Edith Schaeffer, p. 109).

If you haven't been to the wholesale flower market before, would highly recommend it -- details and address here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/chelsea-wholesale-flower-market-new-york

Seeing nature in the midst of Manhattan refreshes the soul. By nature I don’t mean horse carriages in Central Park (“The Rye” Seinfeld episode ruined those for me) or the rats on the subway, but the beautiful kind of nature, like flowers in the flower market. Five years ago, realizing my need for nature inside my apartment, I started taking flower arranging classes. The classes turned into a monthly ritual of going to the flower market, choosing seasonal flowers, and bringing them home for a dining room table arrangement. Around this same dining room table earlier this month, a group from the Humanizing Work conference caught a ‘glimpse’ of the art of flower arranging. Experimenting with a mix of fall flowers, the group learned how to arrange them (tip – arrange in 3’s!) to emphasize their beauty. As we made the arrangements, we were reminded of how God the Creator beautifully clothes the lilies of the valley – and how much more our Heavenly Father cares for us, His children (Matthew 6: 27-29). Each person took their arrangement home to remember this truth as we started the week.